How do you guys that get deals on stuff find them?

I'm usually really lucky with finding deals on stuff. Often it's new stuff however and it doesn't seem to be all that often that I see a huge sale on new guns. I got a good deal on a muzzle loader but never a super deal on a regular shotgun or rifle. Used I normally seem to be able to find deals too however once again when it comes to guns I don't usually run across them.

I always have people offer to buy my guns at a fraction of the cost I payed for them yet when I want to buy guns from others they always seem to want very close to what they paid for them. Like a buddy wanted to sell a Savage .243 with the accu trigger so that he could make his truck payment. He wanted $325. I offered $250. You can get this thing brand new at Wal Mart for like $380 so $325 just doesn't seem that great. Seems like when they want to buy a gun from me they want to offer about half what I paid for it and try to say that's all they are worth.

So for you guys that run across firearms deals like I often hear guys talking about how does it happen? Or is this something where you run across one every few years and not something that happens often?

it isnt a very frequent thing unless you to a lot of driving and looking... what is the point if that is the case? mostly, it is knowing what you are looking at and how badly the other person wants to sell it. right now there are a lot of deals out there to be had with people needing money... when in doubt.. let them talk... people who are looking to sell will often talk themselves into a lower price without you ever saying a word....

the convo goes something like this.

Them---"Man I could use some money, interested in this (enter gun here)"
You---"Yeah, i have been looking to get one actually"
Them---"Well, I have 800 in it, I would like to get that out of it"
You---"hmmmmm"
Them---"What do you think?"
You---"Hmmmm"
Them---"I guess I could take 700 for it"
You---"Well, I would like it"
Them---"How bout 650 and i will give you the ammo I have for it as well?"

If you want to be really disgusted, stick around in a gun shop for a while and see what people bring in and ask/take for them.

It is real work to consistently come up with deals. Work to establish relationships, work to establish trust, work to sift through information, work to educate yourself on what is and isn't any good and what the new, used and abused values are. And luck.

It's a matter of being persistent, of looking everywhere, even places you wouldn't think you'd get a deal. You have to be willing to look at what you find, not only what you want. You also have to look at things differently to see what's a deal and what isn't. If you like to fish- keep throwing that line in- you may not get a trout, but you might get a catfish. Or it might be an old shoe. You have to keep fishing.

You also have to be able to know what something is worth on a gut level, and be able to make a snap decision. The rule is "You snooze you lose". Be the first to see an item and prepared to buy it right now if it is good. I can't tell you how many deals I've made that were because I beat out another guy by a half hour or so, or, I had cash in my pocket and the other guy who got there first didn't.

Once people know you are a "regular" they start setting stuff back for you, making better deals, throwing stuff in for free, etc.

One of the best things is getting to know people so they keep your phone number handy, and THEY call YOU when good deals walk in.

If someone is selling a rifle or shotgun, I ask about pistols. If selling a pistol, I ask about shotguns. You get the idea.

They may not have had any calls on what it was they were trying to sell, and you may end up being the one to pick up the deal on something else. But you have to be willing to travel with cash right then. Screw around long enough, and the next guy comes along and picks it up.

I have never dealt with an online dealer, but I keep cash in my pocket all the time and everywhere I go, I look and listen. I was placing a classified add to sell a car when the guy next to me was placing an add to sell a 22 Hornet rifle. I had been thinking about trying the Hornet again so I asked him to hold off on his add, we went out to his pick up and I bought his rifle right there in the parking lot. Another time I was repairing a Hyster in a lumber yard and walked out with a Ruger Security Six for a very good price from one of the truck drivers. Keep cash at hand and always listen in on open conversations, it works well.

Like many have said. Constant searching. I ws looking for an older model EAA Witness P for months and finally found one at a price that I was willing to pay. A year to find a Llama .380 and I'm still looking for a Glock 17, Ruger Super Redhawk and a Ruger Security Six. (This will end my pistol search then on to rifles.) I have patience and cash on hand to pull the trigger when I do find them. I frequent the pawn shops weekly and even let the storekeepers know what I am looking for and they call me if they get something.

It is real work to consistently come up with deals. Work to establish relationships, work to establish trust, work to sift through information, work to educate yourself on what is and isn't any good and what the new, used and abused values are. And luck.

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Right on HSO... I have met a couple of guys in my area through local sale/buy/trade publications and we contact each other whenever we arelooking to buy, sell or trade and we always give/get great deals.

Pure dumb luck in my case. Last Saturday I was at the local gun store and spotted an old Winchester 94 so I grabbed a ticket, (everyone wanting guns has to get a ticket because the place is packed), and went to to reloading supplies. It was busy also. I walked past 4 people right in front of the powder section and spotted an 8lb jug of Varget, the only Varget they had. I grabbed it off the shelf and started back to gun counter. The people by the powder were PO'ed. Apparently they were talking about how they were going to split up the Varget. It was on the shelf and not one of them made a move to pick it up.

After about an hours wait my number was called at the gun counter and I asked to see the 30-30. I liked it and bought it for 349.00. When I got it home I checked the serial number and found it was a pre 64 and was in near perfect condition.

Constant searching,word of mouth. about 2 years ago my mothers friend moved in with her daughter,& rented her house. i asked what they were doing with the 4 old winchesters in the gun rack in the basement.they never got back to me on it untill now. the woman died & they are selling the house.just got a call to come over to get the guns,all pre 64 winchesters,lever bolts. i thought they were long gone.& ill be getting them for almost nothing.they just want to get rid of them like its some old junk in their way.this is how its done.luck? word of mouth? a little of both...

I had good luck last year looking for guns at garage sales and yard sales.

I had my NRA Instructor business cards with me and at every single sale I'd say, "Do you have any hunting or shooting equipment for sale? I'm a instructor and a collector so I'm always looking for guns for my collection."

I scored a nice S&W Model 49 at one sale. The lady didn't have it out at the sale, but mentioned that she inherited it and wasn't even sure what it was or what it was worth. I told her at the least I could ID it for her and possibly make an offer. She brought it out, I ID'd it and made an offer, she declined, and I left her my card in case she changed her mind. A couple weeks later she called and asked for $50 more then my offer, which was reasonable for both of us, so we made the deal.

I also run across a Mossberg 500 and a Enfield #4 Mk 1 at two other sales. I didn't get either one though, due to lack of cash.

I get other deals my keeping a close eye on the classifieds at various gun boards, especially a state based gun board that I've used for several face to face deals.

I'm usually really lucky with finding deals on stuff. Often it's new stuff however and it doesn't seem to be all that often that I see a huge sale on new guns. I got a good deal on a muzzle loader but never a super deal on a regular shotgun or rifle. Used I normally seem to be able to find deals too however once again when it comes to guns I don't usually run across them.

I always have people offer to buy my guns at a fraction of the cost I payed for them yet when I want to buy guns from others they always seem to want very close to what they paid for them. Like a buddy wanted to sell a Savage .243 with the accu trigger so that he could make his truck payment. He wanted $325. I offered $250. You can get this thing brand new at Wal Mart for like $380 so $325 just doesn't seem that great. Seems like when they want to buy a gun from me they want to offer about half what I paid for it and try to say that's all they are worth.

So for you guys that run across firearms deals like I often hear guys talking about how does it happen? Or is this something where you run across one every few years and not something that happens often?

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You offered him 2/3 of his asking price and were surprised that he didn't jump on it? Good deals are generally in the eye of the beholder (what's it worth to you?) Great deals usually happen when someone is desperate. You need to keep your eyes and ears open and regularly search for what you are looking for. Good deals can be found. Great deals are rare (IMO).

Like a buddy wanted to sell a Savage .243 with the accu trigger so that he could make his truck payment. He wanted $325. I offered $250. You can get this thing brand new at Wal Mart for like $380 so $325 just doesn't seem that great.

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Yea, you can get it for 380 but add the tax and you'll see the real cost. Lets say your local tax is 6%........

380 x 6% = $402.80

402.80 - 325 = $77.80 savings. If my math is correct that's like 81% of the real cost of the gun.

You say he's a buddy and he offers you a fair deal yet you don't help him out in his time of need?

You offered him 2/3 of his asking price and were surprised that he didn't jump on it?

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Actually, he offered more than 3/4 of the price. Asking $325 and offered $250.
$250/$325 = 76.9%
Without commenting on the situation of helping out a buddy, that doesn't seem like such a low offer to me. It seems like a reasonable opening offer.

Timing and luck. The past few years gun shows just haven't been places to get deals. But, last year I walked up to the very last table in the show, which was covered in older guns and revolvers with the dealer sitting there with 3 HK's in front of him. A guy just walked away and traded in an abused HK USP 45, a fairly nice HK USP 9 Compact in stainless and a HK P30 that I don't think was shot more than a box of ammo. I was actually shopping for a P30 at the time and the cheapest I found them for was $850 The seller had no familiarity with HKs, looked in a blue book to get prices for me and said he'd price each of them at $650. The P30 comes with 2 mags but he had gotten 3 extra brand new mags with the trade and gave me those as well (included in the $650), easily being worth another $150 for the 3. I took the P30 home and swabbed it out with Qtips and could find almost no powder/dirt inside the frame. No barrel wear or any markings/scratches - may as well have been brand new.

Other than that, I usually watch GunBroker daily and found during the past couple of years, GunBroker is about the best place for finding deals out there. I think you can also set up a search on GunBroker that will email you when something gets added with certain key words.

I have dumb luck also and I know a lot of people who know a lot of people (fortunately that have a gun or two). I have gotten 2 Marlin 336s for $200 each, a Glock 19 for $300, a 410 SxS and 12ga O/U for $100 for both, a Model 36 S&W snubbie for $250, a Kimber Pro Carry for $500, a HK P2000sk that I traded a beat up AK for that I got for $280, etc...just been lucky and in right place at right time I guess.
BTW, the SxS and O/U are old and pitted etc but still shoot.

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